The present invention relates to a tampon printing machine comprising holding means for a printing block, an ink feeding mechanism including a hollow body which in operation of the machine has its end face in contact with the printing block, a pressure mechanism for pressing the end face of the hollow body against the printing block, means for generating a relative movement between the printing block and the hollow body, and a tampon which can be pressed upon the inked printing block for picking up ink from the recesses of the printing block and transferring it to an object to be printed, the periphery of the end face of the hollow body comprising a hard material.
A machine of this kind has been known from European Pat. No. 0,140,165. The ink reservoir and the part provided with the end face form together a largely rigid structure which does not permit the end face to follow any deviations of the surface of the printing block from an exactly defined plane. If excellent printing results are to be obtained, it is a requirement in the case of the known machine that the surface of the printing block be extremely plane and that any deviations from the plane may not in any case exceed a maximum of 10 .mu.m. Consequently, the use of steel printing blocks is preferred in the case of the known printing machines.